


Disposable Heroes

by manwithaminivan



Series: Until The End [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: A Look Into Karas Past, Also a look into the future, Alternate Universe - Military, Character Death, Combat, It sounds weird but go with it, Memories, Minor Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Murder Mystery, Nightmares, Past Abuse, There's no main relationship, There's supercorp at the very end I promise, This is a sort of prequel to Until The End, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29917587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manwithaminivan/pseuds/manwithaminivan
Summary: A look into Kara's past before becoming Lena's bodyguard
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers
Series: Until The End [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200023
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, a few people wanted a look into Kara's past life before Until The End so this is that. Chapters will vary in length, they're snapshots into her past (but there will be some overarching store, a little mystery) I'll probably upload a chapter every day or every few days. I don't go into full-on detail as I still think it's fun to let you guys ponder a bit, maybe fill in some dots yourself. With all that said, enjoy and feel free to ask questions.

**_2012, 17 years old, Midvale._ **

“Eliza, come on.”

She can hear her adoptive father’s voice even though she’s upstairs. And it’s not just because of her super hearing. They're fighting, again. And it’s about her… again. She hated it. Every day after school she’d come home, they’d have dinner, and then they’d start yelling. Kara knew what she had to do to stop it, she just had to give in to what her dad wanted and go work for the DEO.

But she wanted to be a teacher. She had dreams. She wanted to go to college, and study art history and then work in some highschool teaching the future generations. She wanted to leave this stupid town and family behind. But her father had other ideas.

“She’s not some military weapon, Jeremiah! She’s a person!”

“She’s a person with heat-vision and unimaginable strength!” He huffs, “Think of all the good she could do in the world!”

Eliza groans, “You’re so thickheaded!”

“Joining the military did me plenty of good, it made me the man I am today.”

“I miss the man you were before the military!” Eliza’s voice is hoarse, and Kara can tell that she’s on the verge of breaking down. “You were so kind and sweet… you cared.”

“I still care, Eliza.”

“No! You don’t! You’re cold and dismissive all the time. You won’t take your meds-”

There’s the sound of glass breaking and Kara shoots up from her bed, sprinting downstairs. A mug sits shattered on the ground, close to a wall. Jeremiah is fuming and Eliza seems afraid. She immediately gets in between the two of them, back turned to Eliza. “Just shut up!

He gapes at her, “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“You’re an arrogant son of a bitch, Jeremiah. I’ll talk to you with the respect you deserve, which is none.”

He opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off. “Get out.”

“What?”

“Get out, before I throw you out!”

Jeremiah glares at her a moment, fists clenching and unclenching. His nostrils flare a moment before he storms past both of them and out the door, not even bothering to grab anything. She turns to Eliza as the door shuts, immediately softening her demeanor. “Did he touch you? Are you okay?”

Eliza shakes her head, “I’m fine.”

She moves past Kara, going into the pantry. She comes back out with a broom and starts to clean up the shattered mug. As she does Kara recognizes the broken mug as the one she and Alex had made a few years back. They painted their names on it and put their thumbprints next to each other in different colors. She’s kind of sad to see it broken.

“Eliza, let me do it. Okay?”

She grabs the broom from her adoptive mom and finishes the job for her, dumping the shattered pieces. They move in silence around the kitchen as they clean up the other stuff Jeremiah threw around or messed with. Neither of them says a word as to not startle the other. Eventually, the cleaning is done and Eliza goes and sits on the couch, Kara follows.

“He wasn’t always like this,” Eliza says, breaking the silence.

“I know… I remember the first three years I got here before he left, he was nice.”

Eliza sighs sadly, “I’m so sorry, Kara.”

She takes Eliza’s hands in her own, forcing her to look at her. “You do not need to apologize for his actions, okay? None of this falls on you.”

She nods, tears welling in her eyes. “I know, I know.”

Kara thinks for a moment, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “I’m going to join the DEO.”

“What? No! No, I can’t watch the same thing that happened to him happen to you.” Alexia grips her hands tightly, “Kara, you are the sun and that place will snuff out your light.”

She smiles slightly at the silly analogy, “You can never dull the sun, Eliza.”

“I can’t let you do this.”

“It’s my own choice… If I do this then he’ll spend more time at the DEO and less time with you. It’ll give you a chance to file for divorce.”

Eliza scoffs, looking away.

“Look, I can scare him enough into getting a different place if you aren’t ready for full divorce yet.”

“No… I know what needs to be done.”

Kara smiles softly and wraps Eliza in a hug. They stay like that for a moment, mother and daughter. Kara never liked to call Eliza her mom and Eliza was fine with that. She recognized that Kara still needed that connection to her homeworld. Clark had practically abandoned her, all she had left were the memories and the titles.

Eventually, they let go. “Once I graduate, so in a few months, I’ll head off.”

Eliza nods, wiping tears from her eyes. “Yeah, okay. Guess that means we gotta get in as many movie nights as possible, yeah? Maybe invite Alex for some?”

Kara smiles, “Sounds wonderful.”

* * *

Kara huffs as she closes her truck door, looking back at the house she probably wouldn’t see for a while. She wasn’t exactly sure on the terms of her ‘deployment’, just that she basically signed up for the military under a different name. She was told to only say she’s joining the marines, and so that’s what she did. 

Winn hugged her tight, “Can’t believe you’re joining the marines… I never pictured that for you.”

She shrugs, letting go of him reluctantly. “Guess I just wanted to follow in Jeremiah's footsteps.”

He frowns slightly, “I’m gonna miss you.”

“Me too, bud.”

“You’ll write? Or call? I don’t know how it works.”

She chuckles, “I’ll stay in touch, alright?”

“Good, good. Don’t die on me, you’re like my only friend.”

She pats his shoulder, “I don’t think I can die, Winn. You and I both know I’ve got a little bit of an advantage.”

He nods then moves away, making space for Eliza. 

“Stay safe, okay, hon?”

She nods, hugging her. “Always.”

“I’m here for you if you decide it’s not for you.”

She smiles, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She’ll never forget their sad faces in her mirror as she drove off. Tears began to fall from her own eyes as she turned off the property. She turned up the radio, trying to drown out the thoughts. This is what she had to do, it was for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter done! It's a short one but the next one will be out literally tomorrow. Comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks for reading.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminivan


	2. Kenny Li

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two, this one's longer than the last, also develops the little overarching theme. Enjoy.

**_2014, 19, Military Base in [REDACTED]_ **

“Kara!”

Her head snaps up and she smiles as she sees her friend Kenny making his way towards her. He’s holding an apple in one hand and she watches as he winds it up, throwing it towards her. She catches it with ease, chuckling as he sits down across from her. “Do the thing.”

She rolls her eyes, “I’m not gonna do the thing.”

“Come on!” He pleads with her, “Just do it.”

Never one to deny her best friend anything she sets the apple on the table. Carefully she puts her palm on the top of it and pushes down. The apple crumples under the minimal strength she uses and Kenny loses it. She’ll never understand why. She does this little ‘party trick’ a lot, especially for him, yet every time she does it Kenny smiles wide and laughs. They’ve been friends for 2 years now (ever since she joined the DEO) and she doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of doing it for him.

“It’ll never get old! I swear, Kara, once you’re outta here, you could be something.”

“I could be something?”

He nods, “Maybe a magician, or a celebrity bodybuilder. Oh or like a motivational speaker who crushes apples to get her point across! Mark my words you’re gonna make a change.”

She smiles softly, “I like to think I’m already making a change.”

He hums, smile dropping slightly. “Yeah, but this place isn’t great.” He leans in a bit closer, lowering his voice. “Between you and me, something feels off about the General.”

“General Henshaw?”

He nods, leaning back. “I feel like he knows something. Or like he’s hiding something.”

“I can ask Alex if you want, she’s known him longer than I have.”

“No no. I don’t wanna stir up anything.” He pauses a moment before chuckling, “You know what they do to people who cause trouble.”

She scoffs, “Come on, Kenny. That whole thing was a rumor.”

He shrugs, winking, “Right. A _‘rumor’_.”

* * *

Later that day they get a mission. Recover some stolen material and get back. The group assigned to it was her team; Kenny, Mon-El, Imra, and herself. For some reason, Kenny was required to go on this one. Normally he stayed behind, manning the comms and helping them out from the safety of the DEO. The only explanation given as to why he's coming is that he needed to handle the tech. She didn’t get why, all they had to do was download some files. 

Still, they all loaded into the back of a jeep, Mon-El kicking the floor as a sign for the driver to go. She sighed and adjusted her pack. She had to do a lot of things on this job but what she hated the most (an exaggeration but still) was the traveling. The helicopters, boats, jeeps. It was a never-ending list of unconventional vehicles.

“You with us, Kara?” Imra asked her.

She nodded, “Yeah, sorry. Just hate this jeep.”

Kenny chuckles, “And here I thought you were supposed to be the strongest of us.”

“Oh shut up, Kenny. You’re the only full human here, the weakest link can’t talk.” Mon-El said, a smug look on his face. She wanted to wipe it off of him, she was never a fan. He thought just because he used to be Prince of Daxam he was entitled to everything and was better than everyone, needless to say, it got annoying after a while.

But what he was saying was true. She wasn’t exactly sure why Kenny was on the team. He was a great combatant don’t get her wrong, but she was always worried. Mon-El and she had super strength and other abilities, and Imra was telepathic. But Kenny… Well, Kenny was just Kenny.

A while later the jeep began to slow before coming to a stop. They all hopped out and stared at the huge warehouse before them. “It seems…”

Kara finished Imra’s sentence for her, “Unprotected.”

They all shared a small chuckle before beginning to move in. The blueprints they got said the room with the stolen material was in the southeast quadrant. According to Hank, no one would be here at this time. She could only hope he was right.

Mon-El kicked the door in and they all entered, guns trained in case of any danger. They entered the correct quadrant, the only problem was finding where the room would be.

“Alright, I say we split, make things quicker,” Imra suggested.

Kenny shook his head, “No way. We don’t know anything about this place.”

Kara shrugged, “If no one came when we knocked down that door I think we’ll be alright. Um, I’ll go right, Kenny go left, Imra and Mon-El go up.”

They all nodded and split their separate ways. Kara checked in every room, using a flashlight to check everything out. There was nothing too special, a lot of plans and blueprints as well as some uniforms Kara didn’t recognize. She eventually reached the end of the hall, huffing at the fact she turned up empty. As she turned to go back she heard a scream.

“Kenny…”

She used her super-speed to get to where the yell came from. She stayed behind the corner, using her x-ray vision to see what was happening. Kenny was on the ground, his gun feet away from him. There was another man there, gun trained on Kenny’s head. He spoke into a radio, in a language Kara didn’t recognize. She heard the all too familiar sound of a gun cocking and it was as if time slowed.

She had never wanted to do it. When she joined the DEO she had been told she’d be a force for good. That she would never have to do this. But here she was. Having to make what felt like an impossible choice. She turned around the corner and shot. Her aim was excellent of course, that full year of training paining off.

The man’s body crumpled to the ground and Kara ran to Kenny. “Are you okay?”

He looked at her with a dazed look, and Kara realized his head was bleeding. She heard footsteps coming and turned, relaxing slightly when she realized it was just the rest of her team. “Did anyone find the files?”

Mon-El nods, “I’ve already got them downloaded. Let’s get him out of here.”

* * *

Kara spent the next few days in the med bay of the DEO with Kenny, not willing to leave his side for longer than a bathroom break. He insisted that he was fine, but something felt off to Kara. They were told no one would be in the warehouse, yet someone managed to get to him. She recalled her and Kenny’s conversation the day it happened. How he felt like the General had something off about him…

Kenny stirred in the bed, waking up from his fifth nap of the day. “Still here, Danvers?”

She chuckles, moving closer to him. “Didn’t want you to die on me while you slept.”

He smiles, sitting up. “Slight head trauma never hurt anyone. Better than a bullet in my head.”

“Mm, I’m sure.”

His eyes fall to something outside of Kara’s view, something behind her. She goes to turn but he stops her, putting his eyes back on her. He laughs tiredly, but Kara can tell somethings wrong. “Someone’s watching me.”

She nods, “You’re in the med ward, some doctors are watching you.”

He shakes his head, “I’ve never seen him before and he doesn't have a lab coat on. He’s tall, graying hair and beard. There’s a scar above his right eyebrow.”

She chuckles, confused as to why he’s so uptight, “Kenny-”

He takes her hand, “I fear I know something I shouldn’t.”

She tries to give him a reassuring smile, but it wavers. “What?”

“General Henshaw… I think he’s anti-alien-”

Kara scoffs, cutting him off, “Kenny, come on. He has a task force of aliens. Are you forgetting I'm here?”

“The DEO was founded to get rid of aliens.”

“And it’s changed.”

He sighs, frowning. “Maybe he’s trying to change it back.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe you’re just paranoid.”

“Kara, I’m not paranoid. A couple of weeks ago, I heard some rumors about some secret cells in the desert facilities.”

She takes his hand from hers, “Maybe you should see a shrink, Kenny.”

He looks away from her a moment, “Just go ask Alex if she knows the guy out there?”

She nods, standing. “Be back soon.”

She leaves the room, managing to get a quick look at the man Kenny mentioned. His description was spot on, but Kara takes a mental picture of his face anyway. She moves through the DEO easily, getting over to the lab. She tells Alex everything about the man, asking if she knows her. And much to Kara’s dismay, she says she doesn’t.

And that’s when it happens.

Alarms start blaring and Kara immediately books it, making it back to where Kenny was. Agents stand around the entrance to the med bay, forming a sort of barricade. She tries to push through them, but they stop her. She scoffs, yelling at them but they don’t budge. Eventually, she just uses her strength, easily maneuvering the agents so she could get through.

She pushes open the door and nearly crumples at the sight of Kenny with a pillow over his face, completely still. His sheets are all messed up and the heart monitors no longer beep. General Henshaw stands there, talking with Agent Vasquez. Vasquez looks at her with some pity, but Hank seems indifferent. “What happened?”

No one answers her.

“What happened?!”

The General sighs, “Someone got to him. Disabled cams so we don’t know who.”

She puts a hand over her mouth. “No… no, I just saved him. I killed a man for him… He doesn’t get to die!”

She rushes towards Kenny and no one stops her. She takes the pillow off his face, tears filling her eyes as she looks at his still open eyes. Ones that were once filled with life now empty. She puts a hand on his chest. “Kenny… come on.”

Nothing.

“Answer me, Kenny.”

He stays still.

“You don’t get to die on me, idiot. I need you.”

The med bay door opens but she doesn’t look at it. A moment later a hand falls on her shoulder and she shrugs it off quickly. She goes to shake Kenny but is pulled back, tears immediately fall faster, sobs racking her body. “This can’t be real… This _can’t_ be happening! He’s not dead! He’s…”

She’s wrapped into a hug by who she can only assume is Alex. She wraps her arms around her tight, maybe too tight but Alex doesn’t say anything. She hears people leave the room and it’s just her and Alex, she slowly falls to the floor, her older sister still holding her. And that’s how they stay for a few minutes until they’re kicked out because Kenny’s body needs to be collected.

* * *

He didn’t even get a real funeral. The DEO forced his family into a small gathering of 5 people. She learned that technically Kenny Li didn’t exist anymore. He was gone, a blank space in the world. According to state records he died at 16. The DEO didn't even tell his family the truth about how he died, officially the cause of death was a gunshot during active duty.

Kara fought with Alex about going. She was only allowed out if she wore some stupid marine uniform. She stayed in the far back, away from the procession going on, listening to the words the pastor said. She cried silently as his body was put into the ground, her heart breaking as she heard the sobs of his father.

When it was all over, she turned to leave, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She whipped around quickly to see an older woman. She wiped her eyes quickly.

“Can I help you?”

“Did you know Kenny?”

Kara sucks in a breath, nodding slowly. “Yes, yes.. um, he was a good friend of mine. I'm Kara.”

The woman goes into the purse she’s holding, pulling out a white envelope. “I saw you watching us. Why didn’t you join the funeral?”

“I had to bite tooth and nail to even come… I didn’t want to intrude.”

The woman goes into the purse she’s holding, pulling out a white envelope. “A few months ago Kenny sent this letter to us. It said to only open when he was dead, I guess that’s now.”

“What did it say?”

She looks up and locks eyes with Kara. Her eyes are filled with pain, anger, and sadness all mixed into a great sea of brown. “It said that if he was sorry.”

“Sorry?”

She nods, “He said he was sorry for not telling them sooner, and then it… exposes some people he worked with.”

Kara titles her head, “Like who?”

She hands the envelope over, practically shoving it into Kara’s hands. She takes it, flipping it over in her hands. The envelope is blank, so she figures they moved it from its original one. She looks back up.

“You seem nice. And if Kenny was friends with you then I’m friends with you.”

“Who are you?”

“His mother."

She nods, chewing the inside of her lip. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She sighs sadly, "Do right by my boy, Kara. Get him justice... You and I both know this was no accident."

Kara nods, sticking the envelope in the inward pocket of her jacket. “I promise to do the best I can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, RIP Kenny :( He will be missed, but it's not the last you'll hear about this letter. As always comments and kudos are appreciated, let me know what you think the letter holds or maybe what you hope to see. Next chapter will be out very soon.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminivan


	3. Undercover Underground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Three, wooo. I know not a lot of people are reading this one since it's not supercorp focused but I'm having a pretty fun time writing it :)

**2 months later, 19, DEO Desert Facility**

The letter was insane. Four full pages of all the sins done by a bunch of agents and leaders in the DEO. Kara had to take breaks while reading it, that’s how bad it was. The worst part of it was when there was an entire page dedicated to the wrongdoings of General Hank Henshaw. Kara couldn’t help but feel guilty, a few days before he died Kenny had tried to warn her, but she didn’t listen, she told him he was paranoid.

After Kenny’s death, Mon-El and Imra told her that they were getting married and leaving. So she’s been alone. She has no team anymore, just herself and her thoughts. It’s not a great pairing. 

She slammed her hands down on her desk, this was at least her 50th time reading through it and it never got any better. She huffed, putting her head in her hands before running one through her hair, trying to calm herself. She looked at the alarm clock next to her bed, 5:00 AM. She scoots out from her desk, standing and stretching her back.

She didn’t sleep much anymore, too paranoid the same thing that happened to Kenny would happen to her. Anytime she heard so much as a sound while she was reading the letter she’d shove it away, worried someone would find out. She hadn’t even told Alex, and her sister was definitely catching on.

The number of conversations they’d have about grieving and sleeping and how ‘Kara you’ve been acting strangely’. She’s stressed and tired, and constantly on the verge of a breakdown. But she can’t let anyone see it, especially not Hank. The rumors that went around about what happened to agents who stepped out of line were never good. They ranged from incarceration to drugging, and Kara didn’t want to risk it.

Her door opens and she uses her superspeed to shove the letter away, turn off her lamp and get under her covers, laying on her side.

“Hey, you up?”

She turns at the sound of her sister's voice, “Alex? What are you doing?” She does her best to make her voice tired, more grainy.

The door closes and Alex steps in, flipping on the light. “I know you weren’t asleep, Kara.”

She sighs, throwing the covers off her and sitting up. “Yeah.”

“We just got a mission, you feeling up to it?”

She grips the edge of her bed. She hasn’t gone on a mission since Kenny died. Hell, she’s barely been out of bed since it happened. People were starting to notice, people were starting to get annoyed… She huffs, “Sure, I’ll be there in a second.”

Alex nods and leaves. Kara takes a moment before getting up, changing into clothes that aren’t sweatpants and an unflattering sweatshirt. She lands on a DEO training shirt and black pants, putting her hair up in a bun.

She takes a breath before walking out of her accommodation and into the briefing room. General Henshaw stands at the front, with Liteuant Lane at his side. The two seem to be in a pretty heated conversation when Kara walks up. They come to a stop when Hank slams his foot down, turning to everyone who’s gathered around.

“There’s a new alien fight club in National City.”

Unsurprising.

“Normally we’d leave it to the police, but it’s getting out of hand. So, we’re sending Agent Danvers undercover.”

Alex looks to Kara so she realizes she's Agent Danvers this time. She eyes Hank a moment, now untrusting of this man. She sighs, “Yeah, okay. When do I leave?”

“Today.” A folder is slid across the table and she picks it up, going through it. It’s a full file on an alias, apparently, she’d be Claire Connors, an alien from Krypton who was broke and in need of some help. She’d have to go to someone named Veronica Sinclair, alias Roulette. 

“I have to fight to the death?”

The Lieutenant huffs but Hank ignores him, “You have your training, you’ll be fine. And in case anything goes wrong, Alex will be there.

* * *

Kara rolled her eyes as she was patted down by some sleazy security guard. Tonight was her first fight. She’d been made to sign so many contracts (mainly at gunpoint) but now it was finally happening, a full month after she first went undercover. Roulette's second hand man was the one who instructed her most times, the only time she ever saw the woman herself was once when she first applied.

The man ended her patdown with a quick slap to her ass, she turned and glared at him, but was unable to do anything. She walked into the dingy ‘locker room’ and sat down her gym bag, changing into fighting clothes (a loose athletic shirt, running shorts, and tennis shoes). She looked around to make sure no one was close before slipping a small device in her ear, tapping it once.

“Alex, you copy?”

There’s silence for a moment before her sister's voice comes across the wire, “Loud and clear. You okay?”

“Other than a pervy pat-down nothing’s gone wrong.”

“Who are you talking to?”

She whips around at the sound of a different voice, quickly clearing her throat. “No one.”

The woman who stands a few feet away is shorter than her. Her brunette hair up in a bun with white stripes painted on her tan skin under her eyes. “No? Because it sounded like you were maybe on the phone? Or using a comm piece?”

Kara shakes her head, “No. No… Are you the one I’m supposed to fight?”

“Nope, they don’t let the opponents speak.”

“Then who are you?”

“M’gann M’orzz.” She holds her hand out, “Pleasure.”

She shakes it, “I’m Clarie.”

M’gann hums, staring deep into Kara’s eyes. She can’t help but shift under the stare, moving so she’s looking back in her bag. “Why can’t I read your mind?”

She shrugs, putting on a smile when she looks back up. “Wonderful question.”

The crowd cheers loudly as she steps out into the weird ring. She looks around her, trying to avoid the bright lights that practically blind her. There’s a full crowd, mainly of rich socialites just looking to see some action. She waves at the crowd, trying to make a connection. Maybe if she has some people on her side she’d got off a bit easier.

She snaps her attention to the large door in front of her. It opens slowly, almost dramatically and Kara stumbles back when the biggest K’hund she’s ever seen walks through the door. He’s almost comically large, with orange-tinted skin and rock-like indents on his forehead. He has a mechanical device over his left eye, and he grunts slightly at the sight of Kara.

A woman’s voice comes over the loudspeaker and Kara looks up. Veronica Sinclair stands up in a sort of podium/cage, announcing the fight below her. Kara is graciously given the name Supergirl, the man across from her just called the K’hund. There’s a signaled countdown.

“Kara, are you ready?” Alex comes over her earpiece.

She huffs, “As all ever be.”

There is a loud buzz and the man charges for her. He manages to grab her, slamming her into the wall. She groans in pain a moment before kicking him off of her, setting up. He comes again and she slides under him, kicking him in the back and causing him to fly forward. He yells in anger and jumps up.

Kara nearly loses sight of him before he comes crashing down, nearly landing on top of her. In her momentarily stunned state, he manages to grab her, throwing her up. Her comm piece flies out of her ear and she yelps. Before she can come crashing down she manages to regain herself and float a few feet above him. She fires her heat vision at the K’hund and he falls back, smoke coming off of his now charred skin.

She flies a bit higher before diving straight down as fast as she can, pushing the man further into the ground. There are loud cheers in the crowd and she maybe got a bit cocky. She smiles and goads the crowd on, all of them chanting Supergirl. She was so caught u[ that she didn’t notice the K’hund getting back up and coming for her.

His hand keeps her pinned to the wall as he punches, and punches and punches. When he finally reels back she can barely see, completely dazed. She spits blood out, head dropping. Her comms release static, Alex saying something but she can’t make it out. Her body is dropped to the ground and she groans, unable to stand.

“Kara.”

She looks up, seeing the K’hunds back turned, but also seeing Kenny. She scoffs, of course, her mind would play some sick trick on her. 

“Kara.”

“What!” Her voice is gravelly, filled with pain and hurt. “What do you want?”

“Get up, Kara.” He bends down right in front of her, “Get up and win.”

“It’s not even worth it.” She shifts, beginning to hear the start of a ten-second countdown. “You’re gone so I don’t have anything-”

He cuts her off, “What about Alex? Eliza… Winn? They still need you, Kara.  _ I  _ still need you to fix the DEO. To get Hank and his corrupt lackeys out of there.”

There are 5 seconds left on the countdown.

“If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for me.”

She stares at his figure before he disappears. She shuts her eyes tight, sucking in a breath before forcing her body up. There’s an eruption of groans and cheers and the countdown stops. She watches as the Khund turns back around, nostrils flaring. He begins to charge and she freezes the ground in between them, watching as he loses his balance and struggles to stay standing. She charges towards him, knocking him to the ground in a few punches and continuing to go off until he’s still. She huffs as she gets off of him and the countdown starts. 

She can’t help the smile that comes on her now bloody face as the countdown ends. Two guard-looking people come in and drag the K’hund off the floor and back into the room he came from. She tilts her head when M’gann comes out, an unreadable expression on her face. She sauntered over to Kara, grabbing her wrist and hoisting it in the air.

“Your winner, Supergirl!”

There are tons of cheers and clapping and Kara can see people passing money to one another. There must have been quite a few bets. M’gann drops her hand and leans over, her voice low as she whispers in her ear. “They know.”

She looks at her confused a moment before M’gann looks above them. Veronica stares down at the two of them, an angry glint in her eye. She’s dragged away by M’gann, into the locker room from earlier. 

“You need to go.”

“What about you?”

M’gann smiles, shaking her head. “I’ve learned that I should stay.” She pulls down the collar of her shirt to reveal a long scar across her collar bone, going further than Kara can see. “You still have a chance, okay?”

“What? No, the whole point of me coming was to free all of you.”

“You’ve been here a month, right? Don’t you have enough information?”

She shrugs, “Technically but it’d be better if I had more.”

M’gann sighs, biting her lip. “They already know about you, okay? You need to go before they do to you what they did to every other undercover sent in here.”

“This goes deeper than illegal fights…”

“You’re so-”

Loud footsteps cut her off, the sound of them coming closer. Her bag from earlier is shoved into her arms and M’gann forces her to a door on the far side. “Go.”

“Will you be okay?”

“You just met me, why do you care so much?”

“I just want to know if you’ll be okay.”

M’gann reaches around her and opens the door, “Get yourself fixed up, alright?”

“I’ll be back for you.”

She smiles, “Whatever you say, Kara.”

She doesn’t even have time to process the use of her full name as she’s pushed out of the door, it slammed in her face. She stares in disbelief a moment before her body reminds her of the immense pain she’s in and how people are after her. She runs as far as she can from the building, looking around her.

It’s completely dark out, the only light coming from the moon. She wanders around for a bit, trying to find something she recognizes. Eventually, she gets to a more populated part of the area, a few cars parked on the sidewalk, some parks scattered around. She walks for a little bit further until she can’t anymore, collapsing on a nearby bench.

She lets out a shaky breath, the pain hitting her harder than normal. She puts a hand to her face, wincing when her fingers graze over the open cuts. She lets her eyes shut, trying to block it all out. The brief moment of peace is interrupted when she feels a figure come and sit next to her. She looks over to see Kenny.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

He smiles, “You could make me go away at any moment, Kara. Maybe there’s a reason I’m still here.”

“You’re a hallucination that my exhausted and grief-stricken brain is trying to make real.” She tears her gaze away from him, looking to the empty street in front of her.

“You making any progress on my letter?”

She scoffs, “You know the answer to that.”

“I do. But what I’m wondering is why you haven’t told Alex? She’s nowhere in the letter, she’d be the safest person to tell.”

“She’s already worried about me, adding this to her plate would just be…” She looks back over at him. “Why am I even talking to you? I probably look insane.”

He chuckles, and she can’t help the small smile that pulls at her lips. She’s missed him so much. The days seem to drag on longer without him there. She’s left alone in this place, only having Alex and she’d been icing her out recently. He sighs, “You’re right, I’m not real. I’m just your thoughts manifested into a person you miss. If you want me to stop showing up, you have to get over me.”

“Get over you? You make it sound like we were dating,”

“Ha, you wish.”

She rolls her eyes.

“You have to let me go, Kara.”

The words hit her hard, even though in a way they are her own. She looks at him, feeling tears well in her eyes. They sting as they go down her face, hitting the open cuts. “I don’t think I can…”

He smiles, taking her hand. “Take your time then, but right now you’ve gotta call, someone.”

“Right. Right.”

She pushes herself off the bench and Kenny follows, they make their way to a payphone that was nearby. Kara digs in her gym bag, managing to find some coins. She dials Alex’s number and after a few rings she picks up.

“Danvers.”

“Hey, Alex, it’s Kara.”

There’s an audible sigh of relief, “Kara, oh thank God. Your comms went out and we couldn’t find you.”

“Yeah, I had to book it out of there, they made me. Um, I’m outside some building…” She looks to the building, reading the name on the door. “Luthor Corp.”

“Alright, I'll come to get you. Just stay put, okay?”

“Okay.”

* * *

Alex got to her pretty fast, and she spent the rest of the night under sun lamps, healing. The next morning she woke up and Alex was checking her vitals. She sighed and sat up, even though Alex glared at her, an unspoken demand to lay back down. She ignored it, pushing herself so she could lean against the wall behind her bed.

“Morning.”

“Your vitals are steady, and all the cuts are pretty much healed. You should be perfect after a couple more hours.”

She nods, “Um, Alex, I need to tell you something.”

Her sister looks at her, a mix of confusion and worry on her face. “Okay… what is it?”

“At Kenny’s funeral, his mom came up to me.”

“What? Kara, you weren’t supposed to be seen, let alone talk to someone.”

She shakes her head, “Just listen! Look, she gave me this letter that Kenny had written.”

“Okay? A lot of guys write letters to open when they're dead.”

“This wasn’t just a letter. It… It has information… dirt… on a bunch of people in the agency.”

Alex scoffed, but she seemed more concerned. She looked around the room a moment, no one but them was in there. “Are you saying Kenny Li wrote an expose on the dirty dealings of some agents?”

“Yes… one of them being General Henshaw.”

“Hank has been a family friend since before you even got here, Kara! How dare you!”

She grabs her sister's wrist as she goes to walk away, “Alex you gotta believe me. Kenny was murdered and I think Hank has something to do with it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminvian


	4. Corruption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timelines and details are made to be a bit wonky because it's as if you're recalling them as Kara, she's blocked out and repressed so much of this that sometimes she misses some things. It'll still make sense, but I wanted to give an explanation

**_2015, 20, DEO Desert Facility_ **

It’d been a year.

It’d been a year and still, she had no progress on Hank or the other agents listed in Kenny’s letter. She’d spent months upon months following some of them around, watching their dealings to see if maybe she could catch one of them in the act, but it never happened. Instead, things just got worse for her. Longer missions, more people to… 

She doesn’t even want to say it. She can barely look at herself in the mirror, admitting the things she’d done were not on the table yet. Alex said she was worried, that she’s stressing over something that isn’t even real. That this letter was Kenny’s last-ditch attempt at getting back at some people who may have bothered him.

And she wanted to believe her, she really did. But Kenny wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Kara!”

She groaned, lifting her head off her desk. Had she fallen asleep? She looks around her, spotting the familiar figure on the bed. “Kenny, are you kidding me?”

“I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here! But you aren’t letting me go!”

She closes her eyes, setting her head back on the desk. Maybe if she fell back asleep, he’d go away. It was silent for a long time but then her chair was ripped out from under her. She falls on the ground and looks over. Kenny now stands above her, anger and frustration evident in his demeanor.

“How’d you do that?”

He doesn’t answer her.

“Are you like evolving or something? You aren’t real! How are you interacting with real objects that aren’t me?”

He sighs, kneeling. “When are you gonna make good on the promise you made to my mother?”

“You don’t think I’m trying?” She stands, running a hand through her hair. She looks over to her nightstand, trying to check the time. She lands on her alarm clock but the numbers are all scattered, unreadable. “This isn’t real.”

“No duh.”

“You’re in my dreams now?”

“The longer this goes on, the more I’m gonna keep showing up!”

She huffs, “I just need to wake up.”

“What you need to do,” he walks over to her, grabbing her face and holding her firm, “is listen to me.”

When she doesn’t answer he continues.

“You’re casting your net too wide, you need to look for what you know for certain. You gotta find the man with the scar.”

She opens her mouth to respond but he shushes her.

“The DEO has a database of everyone in the world, no one is safe from them, you know this! If you try hard enough, you can find him.” His hands fall off of her and he turns around, going to her alarm clock.

“Are you mad at me?”

He picks up the clock, sighing softly. “Of course not. I know that you’re struggling.” He laughs a second before adding on, “Maybe you should see a shrink.”

She scoffs at the line she told him now being relayed back to her. Though he was right, she needed to find that man. The alarm started blinking and the familiar blare of it filled the room. She has to cover her ears against the loud sound.

She shoots up off of her desk just like before, except this time there’s no Kenny on her desk. She huffs and turns off her alarm, looking back to her desk. She must’ve fallen asleep finishing up some paperwork. Her dream was quickly fading from her mind but she remembers vividly Kenny’s instructions.

She needed to find the man with the scar. The man who killed Kenny.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Kara finished her tasks for the day, finding the genet she needed around 6 pm. “Vasquez!”

The agent turned towards Kara with a smile on her face, “Kara, hey. What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

After a lot of fake flirting and a promise of a get-together sometime, she finally got Vasquez to pull up the database and get the picture of the man she was looking for. However, there was no information besides his name, Randall Collins.

She smiled and thanks Vasquez, printing the photo. As she walked out of the DEO she slipped on the glasses she was given her first year there. They were made to suppress her powers but Kara couldn’t help but smile at the fact that she was basically her cousin now, using glasses to hide. She kept the printed photo in the inside pocket of her jacket, catching a bus to the lower part of town where she could meet the one person who could help her. 

She tapped her foot as she waited in the alleyway, eyes darting around her. It was cold out, she could see her breath in the air, a note that it was finally winter. Christmas was only two months away, and Kara couldn’t wait.

Her attention was broken by footsteps coming to her. She watched as the figure approached her, trying to hide her fear. It all melted away when M’ganns familiar face was illuminated.

“Hey. It’s been a while.”

The two of them hugged and Kara appraised her unconventional friend. She was dressed in jeans and a jacket, a long t-shirt underneath. Her hair was down, some pieces falling in front of her face. Kara carefully moved a few strands away, gasping slightly at the bruised eye she had.

“What happened?”

She shrugs, moving Kara’s hand away. “Some guy got handsy, didn’t like the fact that I fought back.”

“Did he touch you?”

“No! No.” She sighs, “I’m tougher than I look, Kara.”

She smiles softly, though it’s not as strong as it could be. “I’m still working on taking down Veronica, okay? I’ve just… I’ve got some other stuff as well.”

M’gann nods, “It’s okay. I understand. So what do you need?”

She pulls the picture from her pocket and hands it over. “His name is Randall Collins. I’m like 99% sure he killed my friend.”

M’gann frowns, looking at the photo. “I’m sorry for your loss... What do you want me to do about it?”

“The organization I work for is covering it up, so I can’t use their resources to find him. I was wondering if you had any connections that could.”

Her friend sighs, “I don’t know, Kara.”

“Please, M’gann. It’s been a full year, I can’t let him down. I just need an address, or maybe someone he works with?”

M’gann hesitates a second before nodding, folding the picture, and putting it in her own pocket. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you so much. And remember if you ever need  _ anything _ , you can always call me, alright?”

“Stay safe, Kara.”

“You too.”

* * *

It wasn’t until a week later that M’gann got back to her, a simple text with an address. She smiled, she’d come through for her. Sadly, she couldn’t act on it right away. It felt like she was being watched a bit more carefully, now and then someone would bump into her, ask her what she was doing. Normally it wouldn’t phase her, but now it felt weird.

Alex had left a few days ago, heading home to help Eliza. Her adoptive mother had been starting up her own bakery and apparently needed some help for a little bit. She’s supposed to be back in a week, though there was no guarantee.

Currently, she’s stood in her room, staring at the letters spread out on her desk. She’s combined the pictures as well, trying to connect every piece. There’s no information about this Randall Collins anywhere, the only things she has are his name and address. She can’t even find a last place of work, let alone a connection to Hank or the DEO.

There’s a loud bang on her door and she shoots up, grabbing the letters and shoving them in her nightstand drawer. The door opens and General Henshaw comes in, she immediately stands a bit straighter as he and two other agents begin to look around.

“General Henshaw, can I help you?”

He shrugs, “Surprise bunk check, Danvers. Go stand over there.” He motions to the far wall.

She complies hesitantly, standing and watching as the agents rip through everything. They open up her books, they empty her shelves. Kara waits with bated breath as J’onn walks over to her nightstand, sighing as he opens up the drawer. “Ah, what's this?”

“A letter!” She yells, louder than she would have wanted. “I’m writing one to Eliza.”

He hums, turning to her but motioning the other two agents out. “So, it’d be no problem if I read the pages?”

“They’re personal.”

He smiles, “Who cares.”

It was as if time slows as he reads every page of the letter. Her heartbeat grows louder and faster and she feels sick. After what felt like forever he took his eyes off the paper, “Kenny always was too nosy…”

“Did you have him killed?”

He pulls a weapon off his side and she immediately goes for him, only to be stopped by a searing pain through her whole body. She collapses to her knees, seeing green veins spread on her hands and arms. “What…”

“I can’t have you messing this up for me, Danvers. Sleep well.”

* * *

When she woke up she was in a cell, head pounding as she opened her eyes. She groaned as she got off the floor, going up to the glass. She looked around on the outside, it was almost completely dark, she couldn’t see a single thing. She began to bang on the glass, screaming for someone, or something. 

“It’s no use.”

She turned to see who was speaking, spotting a very large green alien standing there. He moved towards her carefully, hands out to calm her. She eyed him up and down, “Who are you?”

“I am J’onn J’onzz.”

“ _ What  _ are you?”

He chuckles and it’s deep, almost calming. “I am a green martian. The last of my kind.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I made my peace with it many moons ago.”

She notices him looking down at her hands and she follows his line of sight, noting the way her left-hand trembles slightly. She tries to laugh it off, making it a joke. “Ah, it’s been a while since that happened.”

He comes closer and grabs her hand, “Is this a human thing?”

She shakes her head, not removing her hand from his hold, “Well, yes but I’m not human, I’m Kryptonian.”

He smiles softly, “Ah, so we share something in common.”

“Both aliens, both worlds destroyed…” She looks around, “And now both in this cell.”

“Yes.” 

Kara takes her hand back and turns away from him, trying to collect her thoughts. So, Kenny was right, Hank is most certainly not a good person. He shot her with something and now she’s in a cell with another alien who she assumed he captured. She paces, rubbing her hands together as she does.

When she turners back around she yelps in surprise when she’s standing across from her. Well, not her, but another version of her. One that looks  _ exactly _ like her. She stands stuck to her spot a moment, unable to speak. “Woah woah woah, how…”

“My people can shapeshift, I can take the form of anyone I wish.” A red glow envelopes him as he transforms back into his normal form.

It’s as if a lightbulb goes off in her head, “Does Hank come down here often?”

“Yes, the General comes down every night to make sure I have not moved. He often talks about moving me to another location, I do not know if those plans have changed now because of you.”

She smiles, “Don’t worry, J’onn… I have got a perfect idea.”

* * *

A few hours later footsteps sound and the light in the room switches on, Kara presses herself firmly against the wall, out of sight. Another version of her lays on the ground, eyes shut and not moving. The footsteps stop and she can barely see Hank right in front of the cell, staring in. He curses under his breath and there’s a small beep before the door opens and Hank comes in, checking on the body. 

She charges forward tackling him onto the ground, he fights against her but it’s to no real avail. She pins him to the ground, using his own cuffs against him. He cusses her out as she drags him against the wall, taking his phone out of his pocket.

“Okay… okay!” She turns towards J’onn and holds up her hand for a high five, the martian just looks at her weirdly and so she drops her hand. “We’ll work on it.”

Hank huffs, struggling against the cuffs. “What are you going to do with me?”

She laughs, pulling up the camera on his phone. “You are going to confess.” She kneels.

“Why would I ever do that?”

She shrugs, “Because I am one angry Kryptonian, and thanks to your training… I know many ways of getting you to talk. So,” she huffs, pointing the camera on him, “let’s get to it.”

By the time the confession is done, Hank’s got at least a few broken ribs and a broken nose. She sighs as she stands back up, stuffing his phone in her pocket. J’onn looks at her, a mix of fear and satisfaction in his eyes. She smiles at him reassuringly, wiping the blood off her knuckles off on Hank's shirt.

“What do we do know?”

“Um... “ She looks between the man on the ground and J’onn. “You’re free to go, I suppose. Go be free… I hear Canada’s really alien friendly these days.”

“What about National City?”

She sighs, frowning slightly. “We’re still working on that. But if you don’t want to go as far as Canada, try Metropolis. There you can be anyone.”

He nods and Kara can see the gears turning in his head. “I never got your name.”

She smiles, “Kara Danvers, or Kara Zor-El.”

“Thank you, Kara Zor-El.”

She gives him a quick hug, “Of course. Now, let’s get you out of here, yeah?”

* * *

They managed to get J’onn out of there disguised as one of the agents he had seen before. She walked him out until they were a ways away from the facility. She stopped when she felt like she could, sighing.

“Will you not come with me?”

She shakes her head, “I’ve gotta make some things right.” She digs into her pocket and pulls out her wallet, giving him the cash that was on her. “That’s about $50. Should be enough for a bus ride to National City or Metropolis.”

He nods, taking it gratefully, “You’re too kind.”

She smiles, “If you ever need anything, go to Winn Schott or Clark Kent. They’re good friends of mine.”

“Okay.” 

A moment passes between them, neither of them really say anything. They’d only known each other for a few hours but they’d almost bonded. Both of them were the last of their homes (well, besides Clark but he had practically abandoned his Kryptonian roots). And they were both targeted by an anti-alien man.

J’onn digs into the pocket of the DEO outfit he’s wearing, pulling out a small ring. He presses it into her hand, “For protection.”

She looks at it. It’s a plain black band, nothing really special to it, but with a closer look Kara can see the House of El symbol carved into it. It’s very faint and seems worn but Kara would know that symbol anywhere.

“When I first landed here on Earth, I ran into this tall man. He hovered over me and I felt afraid for a moment, but he reached down and helped me up. He told me his name was uh…” J’onn tapped his chin a second in thought. “Superman! He said his name was Superman and then he gave me this ring.”

Kara chuckled, “Ah you met my cousin.”

“He told me that if anything were to ever go wrong, I should twist that ring and he would come.” J’onn sighs, “It didn’t work.”

“I’m sorry he lied to you.”

“It’s okay because now I have a better chance at life.”

She smiles, giving him a tight hug. 

“You are going to make a big change, Kara Zor-El. You’re going to be something.”

Her heart skips a beat at the familiar phrase. Kenny may no longer be here but it’s obvious his spirit lives on. She sighs as they let go of each other, smiling and waving as he walks off. She heads back to the facility, phone in hand. She messages the video to the only person she knows could help, Litenaunt Lane, along with the message ‘don’t ask.’

She smiled happily to herself. It didn’t exactly follow the plan she had envisioned, but it worked. Now, she could focus on finding Randall Collin and avenging her best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated, thanks for reading.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminivan


	5. Revenge At What Cost

**_1 week later, DEO Facility in National City_ **

Kara huffed as she sat down in a conference room, turning on the TV. She watched as the news reporter spoke about the recent arrests of General Hank Hanshaw and at least 6 agents under him. They never once mention the DEO however, and she’s not surprised. She taps her fingers nervously along the desk and she waits for the real thing she wanted to know to appear on the screen. Her phone buzzes and she looks down at it, smiling when she sees the text from J’onn stating that he’s got a place to stay.

When she traveled back to National City to give her statements and watch the arrest, J’onn managed to find her and they spoke for a bit. He mentioned how he got a job at an alien bar and was pretty happy. He’d settled into the body of a tall man with dark skin and a smile that was fatherly. He asked her how she was doing and they spoke for quite a bit. She had to go however but still asked for the address to the place he was working.

When she got back Alex mentioned she’d been promoted, she was now commanding the DEO as General Alex Danvers. She was happy for her sister, even happier when she heard that her first priority would be tracking down and putting an end to the organization Hank was working for, CADMUS.

He mentioned it a few times in his confession, stating that he was hired by them. Apparently, they were a huge anti-alien group with weapons beyond their imagination. Kara felt sick listening to it, and was happy to help put an end to them.

Her thought train was broken by the news reporter saying a familiar name.

“Randall Collin has been found dead in an alleyway outside of his home. Collin was a well-respected deputy in Midvale, his death is being investigated.”

She let out a breath of relief when no mention of murder was made. She felt a little guilty about being happy about this man's death, but the blood wasn’t on her hands. She never touched him, therefore it’s not her fault, right? So she put some things in motion… what's done is done

The conference room door opens and Alex peeks in, “Hey, briefing now, come on.”

She nodded and stood, turning off the TV and following Alex out. They walked to the central station where a few agents stood around. She didn't recognize a lot of them, seeing as they were replacements. But they all smiled at her nicely and she smiled back.

“Project CADMUS or just CADMUS is a terrorist organization only recently brought to our attention but is believed to have been active for over five years now,” Alex said, pulling up some presentation pieces of attacks believed to have been because of CADMUS.

Kara watches and listens carefully. Rage fills her every being as she sees the dead aliens or the number of kidnapped aliens. She’s dealt with her fair share of anti-alien rhetoric but it never fails to make her angry.

“Our plan is to infiltrate one of their known bases and get files on their most recent bioweapon. The team will be me, Jeremiah Danvers, Agent Connors, and Agent Brown. We leave in an hour.” Alex closed her computer and nodded, signaling the end.

She began to walk off and Kara followed, “Why am I not on this team?”

“They’re an anti-alien group, Kara. I don’t wanna risk anything.”

She scoffs, “I’m the most experienced person here! Connors and Brown are newbies.”

“They aren’t newbies. They graduated top of their class at Quantico, Connors served three years in the military.”

“I’m afraid this place is much worse than the military.”

She sighs, picking up her pace. “I can’t speak on your experience, Kar, since I don’t have your job… but I’ve been okay. Maybe it’s cause I’m seeing a therapist.”

“You mean Kelly?”

She shakes her head, “I stopped seeing Kelly.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we started… dating.”

She stops in her tracks and Alex stops with her, “What?”

“Look, I was going to tell you but things with Hank happened and you never seemed to get over Kenny’s death-”

“How long?”

She shrugs, “A couple of months.”

“Wow, um… congrats, I’m happy for you.”

Alex smiles, “Thanks. Look, I gotta go get, ready, okay? If it makes you feel better you can be on comms.”

* * *

Kara spun in her chair as she listened into the comms, switching between people every now and then. They were breaching the building right then, Alex giving the commands. She heard the door burst open and there were a few gun shots, she waited a second before someone said all clear, relaxing in her seat.

“Three combatants down.”

She moves across the large keyboard/counter and taps into the cameras, pulling up Alex’s view. It’s a sight she’s known all too well, and she turns it off almost immediately, bouncing her leg up and down. She listens are the team moves in, Alex going off with Agent Connors and Agent Brown going with Jeremiah.

It goes smoothly, and the information is gathered. She can’t help the smile that goes across her face when Alex tells everyone it’s time to go. They walk back the way they came but are stopped by the sudden sound of firing. Alex tells everyone to get down and Kara taps into the cameras.

It’s a complete mess, sparks going everywhere as Alex hides behind a large container. Agent Connors seems calm, which is good. She switches to Jeremiah's camera but sees nothing but static.

“Alex… Alex! Jeremiahs not showing up!”

She doesn’t get a response, just more gunshots. She stands up, needing to feel like she’s doing something. She looks at every camera, listens to every comm... Eventually, the shots stop firing and Alex shouts all clear, standing up.

She watches as Alex looks around. No one’s hit, but someone’s missing.

“Where’s Jeremiah?” She asks Agent Brown.

The agent shrugs, shaking her head. “We went for cover in different spots.”

Alex immediately takes off, looking everywhere she can. She doesn’t find a single trace of him and Kara can hear her breathing pick up. Kara starts to hear a low beeping, no one else seems to notice it, however. “Alex, there’s a bomb.”

“What?”

“Get out there’s a bomb!”

The beeping picks up and it seems the others have noticed as they all begin to run. Kara carefully watches as they book it from the building, it going to flames as they jump and cover their heads on the ground. Slowly they all begin to get back up, looking at the building in flames.

“Dad…”

Agent Connors puts his hand on Alex’s shoulder, “We have to go, General.”

* * *

A month later, they went back to Midvale for the funeral. It was a small gathering, Jeremiah hadn’t really made many friends and he drove a lot of them off. Eliza was there of course, she hugged her daughters tight when they showed up. Kara didn’t really grieve, the man had not been fatherly to her in any way. But she was there for Alex, who cried softly on Kara’s shoulder.

Around 10 pm, when Alex and Eliza were in bed she snuck out and went to the cemetery. She stared down at the grave that read ‘Jeremiah Danvers, loving father, and husband’ and could only laugh at the incorrectness of the statement. Still, there was a small tug in her heart. She ran a hand through her hair, fiddling with the band she hadn’t taken off since.

“Sucks that we couldn’t find your body. Guess it must’ve burned up…” 

She didn’t expect an answer. Especially not one from someone who wasn't her father.

“I never liked him.”

She looks up to see Kenny standing a few feet away from her. “Are you haunting me or something?”

He chuckles, “No… I just come back whenever you need me.”

“Mm, and I need you right now?”

He shrugs, “Do you?”

She stares back down at the grave, tears welling in her eyes. She wipes them away, not willing to cry for this man. “I feel like this would’ve been easier if you were here.”

“Probably.”

She laughs wetly, “Thanks.”

“This CADMUS group seems dangerous.”

She nods, “Yeah. It’s just good we got out with the information we needed.”

“What’s going on Kara?”

She raises an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

He looks her up and down, a devilish smirk on her face. “What’s your body count?”

She shakes her head, shoving her hands in her pockets. “I’m not doing this.”

“Doing what?” 

She looks back at the grave a moment before turning to walk back to Eliza’s place. She steps carefully, her pace quick. “I’m not answering that question.”

“What is it… 20? 40?”

When he gets no response he gaps dramatically, “60?”

“Kenny, just shut up.” She steps onto the side of the ride, continuing her walk. 

He laughs, walking slightly behind her. She can hear her own footsteps, and looks back to him, seeing him walking on the same gravel but not hearing the crunch. It’s just a reminder that he’s not real, he’s just her mind messing with her yet again.

“I wanna help you, Kara!”

She stops, turning around. “Help me by going away!” Her voice cracks through the emptiness of the world around them and Kara can’t stop the tears that fall from her face. “I’ve been through so much, and what do I get for my pain? My dead best friend haunting me?”

He doesn’t answer, standing a few feet away from her. He sticks his hands in his hoodie pocket.

“I’ve killed…” She swallows hard against the tears, “I’ve killed so many people. So many husbands and wives who won’t go home to their families.” 

He nods but stays silent.

“I wanna go home, Kenny. I wanna rewind time so I never say yes, so I could go to college and become a teacher! Instead, I’m this crazy person talking to somebody who’s not even here! I’ve got a tremor, Kenny… I’m supposed to be invincible yet my hand shakes.” 

Kenny moves closer to her, hands still in pockets. “You sure you want me to go?”

“I never want to see you again, leave me alone.”

And he does. Just like that he’s no longer in front of her. She wipes at her eyes a moment before turning around and walking back, exhaustion beginning to hit her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminivan


	6. That's Gonna Leave A Mark

**_January 1, 2017, 21, DEO Facility in National City_ **

Alex walked the room as she addressed the fully geared agents. “Today’s the day, folks. We’ve been working 2 years to collect enough information against CADMUS and we’ve finally done it.”

She went into detail about the plan. What team would go where, what time, what to do. Kara listened carefully, wanting to once and for all take this organization down. They had done 4 anti-alien attacks over the past year, all of them ending in multiple casualties.

Alex finished the briefing and the room dispersed, all of them having 5 minutes to sort things out before they head out. Kara stayed where she was, her mind going over the plan multiple times. “You okay?”

She snaps back and looks at her sister, smiling. “Yeah, yeah. Glad we’re finally doing this.”

Alex nods, looking her up and down. “I need you focused, alright? You’re our secret weapon, we need you.”

“I know, I know.”

“Good,” she pats her on the shoulder, “let’s get out there.”

* * *

Kara’s the first in the door, taking the brunt of the bullets shot as the people behind her fire in. She groans as the last bullet hits her, stopping one from going into Agent Coulson's head. He nods appreciatively, and she smiles at him. They all move further into the building, keeping up the same pattern of Kara taking the brunt of the force and people firing in after her.

After three times of that, she starts to feel a bit drained, falling to the back as they clear the rest of the facility. They arrest anyone that surrenders and shoot anyone that fires back. Kara’s ears ring with the gunshots but she dare not say anything.

They come to a stop in what looks like a large lab. People spreading out to get the evidence and materials collected and sealed. Kara watches carefully, almost standing guard. She whips her head around when she hears talking, and it’s not one of the DEO’s team. She grabs an agent and motions for him to come with her. If memory serves her right his name is Agent Rudnick.

She follows the sound and bursts into a room, using a flashlight to look around. Her eyes land on the radio that’s on, she goes and turns it off, sighing. “Must’ve been a false-”

A large stinging pain goes through her entire body as she seizes and falls to the ground. She’s felt this before. She writhes in pain as green veins cover her entire body. She turns her head around and sees Rudnick's face staring at her, a bullet hole in his head. Her eyes flutter shut against the pain.

She wakes up when a bucket of ice water is thrown at her. She coughs and spits, breathing heavily. Her eyes dart around her, noting that she’s on the ground. She quickly goes to stand up but is kicked down, the pain like nothing she’s ever felt before. She supposes that could be because she’s never really felt immense pain.

“Kara Zor-El.” A man's voice speaks, “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

She tossed from her side onto her back, groaning when a kick landed on her stomach. 

“Welcome to Project CADMUS.”

* * *

Time melded together. From what she could guess it’d been a few days. Her mouth was dry in desperation for something to drink. She could barely keep her head up as she was untied from the chair. Her sides were hurting and she felt like she could puke. She was heaved over a shoulder and thrown back into what she now called her cell.

She groaned and lifted her shirt, pressing against her side which earned a whimper. She pushed herself off the ground and onto the horrible bed she had, sitting up on the edge. There was a large cut on her collarbone and she ran a finger along the edges, gathering some of the blood. She wiped it on her pants, sighing.

The door opened and she looked at it. The man who had become her main tormentor walked in, closing the door behind him.

“Good evening.”

Ah, she liked knowing that it was night.

“What do you want from me?”

“A lot of things.”

He grabbed her and dragged her off the bed and onto the floor. “We’re going to play a little game.”

She watched as he pulled a gun from his waistband. Normally she wouldn’t be afraid, a gun would do her no damage. But this group had figured out Kryptonite, so she feared the worse. She began to crawl away but stopped when she hit the wall.

“Russian roulette.” He sighed, dumping all but one bullet out of the revolver he had. “Sit up on the wall.”

Slowly she did as he asked, “I’m not going to play your sick game.”

He smiled, kneeling in front of her. “Then I’ll get someone to go up and kill sweet little mom. Is that what you want?”

Her eyes widened slightly and she swallowed hard.

He chuckled, “Good. Now, as we play, I’m going to ask you some questions. You will answer.”

“Fine.”

“Great.” He spun the cylinder before clicking it back in, holding it to his forehead. The moment he pulled the trigger Kara winced away, shutting her eyes tight. She only opened them back up when he shoved the gun to the side of her head.

“Alright, where is the DEO located?”

She took a moment before answering, “It’s in Vancouver. All the way in Canada.”

He hummed and all she could do was hope he believed her. His finger went to the trigger and squeezed, she shut her eyes tight but no shot came. He did his own quickly and it was immediately back to Kara.

“How’d you find our base?”

“I don’t know. I’m not high up in the organization, I just follow orders.”

He pistol-whipped her and she groaned, leaning over to spit out the blood that filled her mouth. He shoved it deeper into her temple, “Wrong answer.” He pulls the trigger, huffing when no gunshot comes out.

“Only two left… I’ve never lost a game.”

She grits her teeth as he sets it up. She can’t hear his heartbeat, the kryptonite blocking all of her powers. Her smiles as he pulls the trigger and disappointment and fear fill her when it doesn’t go off. He laughs, putting it on her temple.

“How much do you know about CADMUS?”

She stared him dead in the eye, trying to hide her fear. “Nothing.”

He chuckles, cocking the gun. “You’re a horrible liar.”

She waits in anticipation for a shot that never comes. The door burst open and the man was called out. She lets out a sigh of relief when the door closes again and no one is in the room with her. If this keeps up she doesn’t know if she’ll last another few days.

* * *

“Last chance, Kara Zor-El. Where are the CADMUS files?”

He comes closer to her and she sighs, “The files…” Instead of finishing her statement, she spits the mixture of blood and saliva that had collected in her mouth. 

He laughs messing with the gun in his hands. He hits her with it hard and she accepts it. This is it for her, her final moments. He said this was her last chance. And in a way she was glad. She’d been here for so long, every day a neverending hell. She twisted against the restraints keeping her arms in the air.

“You’re a brave soul,” he wipes the spit off his face. “Maybe they’ll give you a medal of honor.” The gun comes up and points straight at her head, “Too bad you won’t be at the ceremony.”

The trigger is pulled and her entire body goes numb. She loses any and all will to stay up, her head falling to the ground and she can feel herself dying. He sighs and turns off the radio, setting down the gun. She can barely hear his voice yelling for someone to ‘come take out the trash, she was useless.’

Blood falls down her face as she begins to slip away. Her mind flashes to all that’s led her to this moment. All the gunshots, all the snapped necks, all the families who lost a member. She recalls the undercover missions, the people she willingly let die just because she wanted to finish off her task. Maybe this was her saving grace, Rao’s way of telling her it was time to rest to atone for what she’s done. Her eyes close and she lets the darkness envelope her, the silence surrounding her.

It didn't last long though.

“Oh, Kara.”

She snaps her eyes open. She’s outside now, standing on her own two feet. She doesn’t feel any pain, she feels nothing. She looks around her, she’s on some type of hill, the stars shining up above.

“Come to see me so soon?”

She looks to the voice, “Kenny.”

He smiles, motioning her over. She follows his instructions, coming to sit next to where he sits on the grass, looking up at the sky. “It’s been a while.”

“Yeah… last time we talked-”

“You told me you never wanted to see me again.”

She sighs, looking down at her lap. “Yeah, I did.”

“All is forgiven.”

They’re both silent for a while. Enjoying the peace of the moment. But something tugs in Kara’s mind, something that will not leave her alone. “Where am I, Kenny?”

“Well, you’re kind of dead, so... I suppose this is the afterlife.”

“The afterlife?”

“Well, not really the afterlife. This is the middle ground.”

She raises an eyebrow, “Everyone gets a middle ground?”

He shakes his head, a smile on his lips. “Only those who deserve to live, or who have unfinished business of course.”

“I don’t have either of those.”

He sighs sadly, turning to look at her. “I get it, I do. The DEO shattered us, made us… shells of who we were. I was 16 when they got me, I went from being a bright young star looking to Harvard to 18 year old with severe paranoia… though I guess that one worked out for me.”

“I’m fine though.”

“Do you know how long you were in that place?”

She shrugs, “A couple of weeks?”

He’s silent a moment as if contemplating if he should tell her. “No, Kara, it was a year.”

She’s never felt sicker than in that moment. Her stomach does flips and her head begins to pound. It wasn’t a year, that’s impossible. She remembers it like it was yesterday, the way they killed Resnick… or Rudnick, or Resin. Whatever his name was! They shot him and then they took her, but it was only a few weeks ago.

“What?”

“You’ve gotta go back.”

“No, I don’t! I don’t need to do anything.” She stands up and walks a little bit away, stopping to collect her thoughts.

Kenny appears right in front of her and she jolts. “You need to fight, Kara.”

“I’m sick of fighting! Why do I have to be strong all the time?”

He wraps her in a tight hug and she melts into it, tears beginning to fall. 

“All I wanted was to have a happy life, to be normal… Instead, I became a war machine at age 18.”

He nods, rubbing her back soothingly. “I know, I know. But you’ve gotta go back and be something… be the change. Your sisters already started, you gotta go support her.”

They break the hug and Kara wipes her eyes. “I miss you, Kenny.”

He smiles that stupid goofy smile, “Yeah I know. I’m proud of you, Danvers.”

“How so?”

“You did what my letter said, you fulfilled your promise.”

She smiles, eyes still wet with tears. “Does this mean I’ll never see you again?”

“You’re letting me go… It’s a good thing.”

She nods, “Goodbye, Kenny.”

“See you on the flip side.”

She gasps when she wakes up, all of a sudden her entire body filling with pain. Her entire vision is blurry and dark but she can hear cars. She’s in a weird position, body contorted in ways it definitely shouldn’t. She presses against the cover of what she’s in, discovering that she’s in a suitcase. She groans and coughs, she’s gotta get help now.

Mustering all the strength she can she uses a little bit of her heat vision to burn a hole near the zipper, reaching out to unzip it. She pushes through and stands up, gaining her balance. She looked around her, she was in an alleyway, it was light out. She stumbled out and onto the sidewalk, grabbing the first person she saw.

They screamed and she realized she probably looked insane. “Call an ambulance please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminivan


	7. Welcome Home Weddings

**_March 2018, 22, Washington D.C_ **

Kara stared at herself in the mirror, looking at the scar for what was probably the millionth time. She was in the hospital for two weeks and was relieved of her duty at the DEO right after she got out. She huffed as she stuck on the marines uniform she was given. Today she’d get a medal of honor, for going above and beyond the call of duty. She thought it was bullshit, she nearly died for some organization that now wanted nothing to do with her. She didn't even have a uniform to wear, they wouldn't let her wear the marine one, so she was stuck in a fancy suit Kelly got her.

There was a knock on the door to her hotel room and she moved to it, looking through the peephole before opening it. Alex saunter in, Kelly on her arm. She smiles at the two of them before closing the door.

“So, little Danvers, you excited?”

She rolls her eyes at the nickname, moving to turn off the light in the bathroom. “Kind of. I’m not a big fan of ceremonies.”

Alex nodded, removing herself from Kelly to hug her sister. “I’m proud of you, you know that right?”

She hugged her back, giving as reassuring a smile she could. “I’m alright, guys. Stop worrying.”

“Have you contacted Dr. Coleman?” Kelly asked her, concern evident in her voice.

“Um, no, no not yet.” She moves in front of a mirror, adjusting her collar. “I’ve been busy.”

Alex huffs and walks over to her, helping her with her tie. “Come on, Kara. Dr. Coleman is highly recommended.”

“I don’t need a shrink, guys.”

Kelly rolls her eyes.

“Sorry, sorry. I don’t need a  _ therapist _ , guys.”

Alex pats her tie down and sighs, looking up at her taller though younger sister. “Come on, let’s get going.”

* * *

The ceremony went well. She got a nice little medal, took pictures with friends, drove back to National City and now she’s at a bar. Winn, Alex, and Kelly all stand around a pool table, setting up the game they're about to play while Kara stands at the bar.

M’gann comes up to her, smiling. “Look who it is… Supergirl in the flesh.”

She smiles back, “You look good, how’s life treating you?”

“Good, I’ve got a boyfriend.”

“Oh, yeah? Who?”

A familiar figure comes around the bar, wrapping his arm around M’gann. “Me.”

She smiles wide, “J’onn? Holy… Wow! I’m so happy for you guys!”

They both smile and laugh softly, M’gann pulling into J’onn’s hold. “Wouldn't have happened if it weren’t for you.”

“I’m glad I could help.” Her name is called by Alex and she sighs, “Right, um, can I get something strong enough to get a Kryptonian drunk?”

She nods, moving from J’onn’s hold and handing her a beer, the logo in a language she can’t read.

“It’s Alderbaranian beer. Also available as whiskey.”

She smiles, “Thanks. I’ll see you two.”

She walks back over to the pool table where Kelly and Alex start. The two of them are going head to head. She drinks the beer absentmindedly, not really feeling an effect. But after about 7 sips in she begins to lose her balance a bit, slurring her words

Alex one and Kelly pouts, Kara lets out a probably too loud laugh at their small interaction but everyone moves on. Winn racks up their set and breaks it, Kara has to cover her ears from the extremely loud sound.

They continue for a little bit, and apparently, it got to the point that Alex had to take away her third beer. She huffed as she aimed for the final 8 ball. She hits the stick forward but it doesn’t hit the cue ball, in fact, it goes out of her hands and into the wall. She puts a hand over her mouth to cover her laugh.

Alex and Kelly share a look and Winn nods, saying something about leaving. Her arms are grabbed and slung over some shoulders and she’s practically dragged out and into a car. Kelly drives and Kara struggles to stay awake.

They arrive at her new apartment, one she hasn’t spent much time in. She’s helped out of her suit and into more comfortable clothes by Alex, who then lays her in bed. She sits on the edge, looking down at Kara who’s smiling wide.

“You look like a fool.”

She gasps, “Alex, that’s so rude.”

“I can say it cause you won’t remember it.” She pulls the cover up on her a bit more. “I’ll leave a note telling you to call me.”

She nods, “Alrighty.”

“Sleep well, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She hears the door click behind Alex and she stares up at the ceiling. It’s been a while since she’s slept well, and here she is, all alone. She turns over in her bed, trying to get comfortable. Nothing works and she ends up laying on her back again, hands across on her stomach. She wills herself to just close her eyes, but the weird incessant paranoia she’s had for the past year gnaws at her.

She was never able to sleep in that place, always afraid that someone would come to get her. If she did sleep it was for only an hour and she was never fully asleep, always alert. Her eyelids are heavy though, and she lets them close, still awake but her mind quiets a bit. Maybe it’s the alcohol. She isn’t sure how long it took but eventually, she did fall asleep, only to wake up a few hours later in a cold sweat, gasping for air and swearing she was back in that room… that cold, dark room.

* * *

The nightmares happen every night, they get so bad that she skips sleeping some nights, downing energy drinks and coffee so she can somewhat function during the day. Kelly and Alex seem to notice, both of them worried for her but she shrugs them off. They keep pressuring her to take medication but she refuses, stating that she’d be fine.

Though the truth was she was afraid. Afraid of what Jeremiah would think.

And it’s stupid because he’s dead and she never liked him. But his weird imprint in her mind. All the times he told her only weak people go on meds, that the Danvers stick it out. She wonders what he thinks of Alex, she’s with a therapist and is on her own medication. She seems fine though, she seems happy.

In fact, she’s more than happy because she proposed recently and Kelly said yes. So now she’s 7 months back from hell and experiencing a new type of hell, wedding planning.

“I like this one,” Kara said, holding up a picture of a flower arrangement.

“It’s too… boring!” Alex dismissed it, pacing the room.

She sighs and continues going through them, holding up a few more but Alex dismisses them all. She goes to reach for a new picture but her hand touches nothing but the table. “That’s it, Alex.”

“What? But I didn’t like any of them.”

“You didn’t look at any of them,” Kara muttered, stacking the photos back together.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, nothing. Why don’t we move on?”

Alex’s phone buzzes and she looks to it, “I’ve gotta go, some alien is attacking downtown.”

Kara nods. She knew the DEO had a new revamped mission, to rehabilitate alien criminals or to take them down if truly needed. Kara didn't want to know any more about it, simply saying she was glad Alex was changing the organization but she still didn’t want any part of it. She’d already blocked out most of her time there, learning about it would just bring back those unwanted ones.

“Alright, stay safe.”

They hug quickly and Alex leaves. Kara picks up the papers and organizes the little table they were working on. She grabs the paper of the dress Alex is going to wear and smiles. For the first time in a while, she’s got something to look forward to.

* * *

She sips champagne absently as everyone around her talks and laughs. The wedding was cute, both Alex and Kelly looked great. Clark comes and stands next to her, leaning on the pillar. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You hear what happened?”

She looks over to him, “Uh, can’t say I have.”

“A month ago, Lex Luthor?”

Sher racks her mind a moment, recently the days have been bunching together. Days feel like weeks, a week feels like a month. “Oh! The guy who went crazy and tried to kill you?”

He laughs, “Yeah him. He’s officially in jail.”

“That’s great! Good job, Kal.”

His face drops a little bit and she corrects herself, “Sorry… Clark.”

“It’s fine.”

“So, what’s that got to do with me?”

“Well, Alex mentioned you got a job at CatCo…. so I was wondering if maybe you could interview his sister? She’s taking over the company, I just wanna scope her out.”

She sighs, finishing off her champagne. “I hate to break it to you but I’m not a reporter.”

He raises an eyebrow, “You work at CatCo but you’re not a reporter?”

“I’m working security. Uh, Winn and his friend James helped me start a private security company, turns out having ‘marine’ on your resume gets you hired by some pretty rich people.” A waiter comes around and she sets her glass on his tray and grabs another as he walks by.

He nods, “Wow… That’s not something I thought you’d want to do. Especially after the incident.”

“You mean when I was held captive and tortured for a year?” She’s learned to not dance around it.

“Yeah, that.”

She sighs, taking a sip. “When I first got back, I told myself that I’d never hold a gun again, never hurt someone again and I figured the best way to do that is to protect someone.”

“Shouldn’t you focus on healing first?”

She shrugs, “It never heals, Clark. It never goes away.”

He frowns, eyebrows creasing together. “Have you tried?”

“Yeah, I’m on meds, they control my tremor.” She holds her left hand out as proof before sticking it back down. “But they don’t stop the nightmares or the pain.”

“I-”

He’s cut off by someone on a microphone announcing it’s time for the brides to dance. She nods to him before moving away, finishing her champagne. Alex and Kelly both walk onto the dance floor and a song plays. The two of them smile and share a few laughs over things Kara doesn’t care to listen into. She’s just happy they're happy.

Winn comes next to her and puts a hand on her shoulder, “Glad they finally tied the knot.”

“Me too.”

“You know, they say weddings are a breeding ground for… new romance.”

She turns towards him confused and freezes as he comes in for a kiss. She puts her hand on his mouth and his eyes shoot open. “Winn, I… I don’t feel that way.”

She drops her hand down and he nods, “Right, right, yeah, that’s my bad. I shouldn’t have tried anything.” He walks off, hands shoved in his pockets.

She sighs, “Rao, it’s gonna be a long night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated.


	8. Small Town Nights

**_2019, 23, Midvale_ **

Cat Grant left after a year of being her security guard meaning she was out of a job. She spent about a month waiting for someone else to hire her but it never came. She was going stir crazy anyway, so she decided to head up to Midvale. She became a volunteer firefighter, got a key to the city, and volunteered at the animal shelter from time to time. She was okay with it. She helped people and that’s all she really wanted.

She stood behind the counter to the animal shelter, working on some paperwork. The door was pushed open and the little bell on it rang. 

“Welcome to Midvale Shelter, how can I help you?

She looked up to see someone who was most definitely not from Midvale. She had on a nice dress and heels, as well as very expensive-looking sunglasses. “My car has broken down and I need a place to stay.”

Kara hums, “Well, I’m sorry but I don’t think the cats or dogs would be willing to share their crates with you.”

The woman laughs and Kara loves the sound. She takes off her sunglasses and piercing green eyes meet with her own. “That’s funny.”

“I do try. Um, I can take a look at your car.”

“Really?”

She nods, “Yeah, let me just tell someone I’m stepping out.” She goes into the back and tells Josie that she’s heading out. She grabs her phone and keys before following the woman out. Her car was only a little bit away, easy walking distance. Kara was impressed by the fact that the woman was doing it in heels.

“Here it is.”

The car was very nice and most likely very expensive. She wasn’t good with brand names but Kara wasn’t naive of the fact that this car probably cost more than her apartment back in National City. She pops open the hood and some smoke comes out, she waves it away, taking a look inside.

“Ah, looks like you’ve overheated.”

“Is it an easy fix?”

She shrugs, “Um… Hey, what’s that over there?”

The woman turns and Kara immediately blows some of her freeze breath on the engine, hoping it would be enough. She looks back to where she absently pointed early, “Nevermind, I must be seeing things. Your car should be good to go though.”

The green eyes look at her a moment as if trying to see into her soul before she steps in, turning her car on. The engine starts and Kara smiles, closing the hood. The woman steps out and smiles, “My hero.”

“Anything for a pretty lady.”

“Well, aren’t you a charmer.”

Kara laughs, “Um, I never got your name?”

She hums, “I think it’s best we keep it that way.”

“Oh… oh yeah, okay. I’ll let you be on your way then. Have a safe drive back to National City.”

She raises an eyebrow, sharp and almost deadly. “How’d you know?”

“Used to live there, guess I just figured it out.” She chuckles, “Oh and you are way too rich to be from around here.”

She throws her head back and laughs, “Mm, well if you ever find yourself back in National City, maybe you could find me.”

“I’m supposed to do that without your name?”

“Yes.”

The woman gets in the car and Kara moves out of the way, waving as the woman drives off. She walks back to the shelter and gets in her truck, heading back home. She taps her fingers on the steering wheel as she drives, focusing on something other than the semi-strange encounter she just had.

* * *

She stood in the kitchen after dinner, a few hours after she got back Alex and Kelly surprised the two of them with a visit. They laughed and had a good time and now Kara was cleaning off the dishes. She bent down to stick a plate in the dishwasher when something shifted. She stood back up and she was no longer in the kitchen.

Her breath picked up as she looked around. She was in that room again. Her entire body trembled as she watched a figure enter the room. She recognized her, and it wasn’t in a good way. She turned towards her and Kara saw the evil glint in her eye before she turned back around. She needed to defend herself, she couldn’t go back.

She looked around her, spotting the knife on the counter. Slowly she edged toward it, putting her hand around the handle and looking down at it. She turned around and took small steps, not wanting to risk anything. 

A hand gripped around her wrist and the knife was ripped out of her hands. She stepped back and shut her eyes tight. A voice was talking to her and she opened them again. The light of the kitchen flooded her eyes and she blinked a few times. 

“Kara.”

She looked to see Alex looking at her, both anger and worry on her features. 

“Wh-”

“Are you on your meds?”

Her eyes darted around, no one else was with them. Did someone leave? There was someone there only a few seconds ago. “Um… no, I ran out and the pharmacy won’t refill until I get a doctor here.”

Alex furrows her brows, “How long?”

“A couple of months?”

She scoffed, throwing her wrist down. Kara turned away, walking to the sink and splashing some water in her face.

“A couple of months… Kara, those meds help you with the flashbacks.”

“I don’t have flashbacks.”

“Then what was that? Did you just wanna give mom a scare by stabbing her a little bit?”

Kara wipes the water off her face, “Oh Rao… I didn't mean to, Alex.”

“I know you didn’t. But Kara… you’ve gotta stick on the meds. Especially if you aren’t actively going to appointments.”

“I go every now and then.”

She rolls her eyes, “Maybe it’s time for you to come back to National City.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos always appreciated.
> 
> tumblr: manwithaminvan


	9. The Future Is Looking Bright

**_2021, 25, National City_ **

Kara sighed as she watched the crowd. She’d been hired to protect Lena Luthor a few months back, though the assignment was a bit unusual. She wasn’t supposed to let Lena know she was there, just follow her around. Sure, it was a bit unethical but it paid well.

She perks up when people finally start to quiet down and Lena steps onto the stage. She begins talking about funding, thanking people, and all that rich people stuff that she’s been around for a while but never cared to know about. She finishes up her little speech and begins walking away, that’s when Kara hears it, the tell-tale sound of a gun cocking.

She’s on the stage faster than humanly possible and tackles Lena to the ground. Two seconds went by before gunshots rang. She pushed herself off of Lena, feeling slightly flustered from being on top of such a beautiful woman. She helps her up, ears ringing as more gunshots sound behind them.

It all happened in a flash, soon she was shoving Lena into a closer than dragging her up to the roof. In moments like these, she was glad Alex never left the DEO, it gave her free access to helicopters. Lena argues with her, ever steadfast. She manages to finally get her on the helicopter with a goodbye of ‘my job’s not over yet’.

She ran back down the stairs, moving through the sea of people still running out. She pulls the gun off her waistband, ready to shoot it if needed. She enters back into the large room from before, listening and looking around.

She heard footsteps and turned towards them, gun trained on the sound. She fired when she saw someone moving, but there was no sound of pain so she continued forward. A gun peaked around the corner of a wall and shot at her, she ducked down and flipped over a table, hiding behind it was more gunshots were fired.

She looked over it and fired back. When it quieted down, she got up, moving towards the wall. She went around the corner only for no one to be there. She groaned, turning around but ran right into a fist.

It didn’t phase her much and she grabbed his arm, flipping him over onto his back, his gun flew from his hand. He got up quickly and went for a kick to her stomach. She caught his leg and pushed back. He straightened himself out and went for a few punches in rapid succession. They did nothing to her and she laughed, his eyes going wide slightly.

His eyes darted to the gun on the ground. They both went for it, falling on top of each other when a gunshot sounded. She pulled away, seeing a wet spot form on his black t-shirt. It must’ve bounced off her and into him. She huffs and rips his shirt, using her suit jacket as a way to apply pressure.

“Who are you?”

She looks down at him, a memory coming back to her quickly. “I’m Supergirl.”

* * *

The man got help and was arrested, Kara was thanked for the ‘citizens arrest’ and she gave her statement. She hopped back in her truck and as she was about to drive off she got a call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Alex. The Luthor girl wants to speak with you.”

She sighs, smiling slightly. “Mm, what’d you do?”

“Nothing! I just… maybe interrogated her?”

“Alex! I told you to just keep her there until I got the guy arrested! Not interrogate her.”

Her older sister groans dramatically, “Will you just get here?”

* * *

Lena’s eyes are on Kara the second she walks in the door and it makes her feel… weird. She smiles at her nicely, tilting her head. “What’s going on?”

“That Agent Danvers is keeping me here against my will. I asked to speak with you.”

She laughs, especially at the term  _ that agent Danvers _ . “Agent Danvers can be pretty strict. You can leave if you want Lena.”

The woman doesn’t move, however. She stares at Kara with some kind of determination. Like she wants Kara to do something. 

“Do you not want to leave?”

“Where am I?”

She whistles sharply, looking around, “Not sure I can tell you that.”

Lena crosses her arms, “I demand to know.”

Kara can tell she’s used to getting her way. She continues to glare at Kara, “I’m afraid your demands don’t work here.”

“Why’d you save me, Kara?”

She wasn’t expecting the question. Normally people don’t question when people save their lives. She sighs, “I was hired to do so.”

Lena raises a sharp and calculated brow, “By who?”

“Uh, I think her name was Andrea Rojas? Yeah. A few months back she approached me, offering a pretty decent amount of money to just keep you safe.”

Lena gasps, “Have you been following me around for months?”

Kara shakes her head, eyes probably going wide. “It sounds horrible when you put it like that! I work in personal security.” She explains a little bit about her job, watching Lena relax just a little bit.

“And Andrea hired you?”

She nods.

“Of course she did.”

She sighs, “I’m sorry if this upsets you, Lena. If it makes you more comfortable I can quit.”

Lena smiles and shakes her head, her finger traces circles on her leg as she appears to think something over. “No, no… Though I’d prefer you weren’t hiding in the shadows all the time.”

“What do you mean?”

Kara was expecting a lot of things but she wasn’t expecting a job offer. She’s sure her mouth dropped open at the ask and she immediately tried to regain her composure. Lena seems to be waiting for an answer.

“I mean… why not? Where do I sign?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright that's it folks, hope you enjoyed. Comments and kudos always appreciated.


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